Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Christmas Traditions


My husband and I are Christmas freaks. We love honoring Jesus' birth (he is the reason for the season), the anticipation leading up to the holiday, the many traditions and much needed family time. This season makes me feel like a kid again, everything somehow slows down and becomes magical.

 I am super excited this year as it is a very special one for us as we will be flying back to Scotland for Christmas to be with my family. Carl has never been to Edinburgh and I have not been home in three years not to mention we will meet our new niece, Alana who is 3 months old, celebrating my sister and her boyfriend engagement and hoping  for a white Christmas. We have been counting down the days (yes, I have an app on my phone) til we leave for home - 10 days to go.

On both sides of our families we have many Christmas traditions that Carl and I hold dear to. I wanted to share with you a few our most favourite ones:

We break the no tree before thanksgiving rule.
We cut down our own pine tree.
We watch all of Christmas movies we own starting Dec 1st. Buying a few more every year to add to next years list.
Cookie baking & decorating.
We go on a special Christmas date.
Hot cocoa & walk the neighborhood lights.
Go outdoor ice skating.
 Watch It's a wonderful life on Christmas Eve.
Candle light service/Christmas Eve midnight service.
Cinnamon rolls & Mimosas on Christmas morning.
My dad reads the Christmas story first thing on Christmas morning.
Walk after Christmas dinner.
Boxing day celebrations with extended family.
Go to the Pantomime.
Freeze are butts off at a rugby game.
What Christmas traditions do you have?

Merry Christmas Everyone.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

California Winter

Coming from a country where we have four seasons a year to then move to Southern California where it has barely two season is an adjustment. It is particularly hard in the "fall / winter season", I adore the changing colors of the leaves, the windy chill in the air and you get to snuggle up in blankets with your love. I have had to adapt to the warmth of December, having 90 highs and drinking ice tea on a so called winters day.

I did a double shoot last week that with this look and my most recent fashion blog, Antlers | Hubs Flannel. Ironically shooting a layered winters look and a warm winters day look.

A summer sunflower dress layered with this cream crochet detailed kimono to keep you cool in this California winters warmth. My favourite black riding boots and accessorized with sunnies and black leather purse.



Dress: Ocean Drive // Kimono: TJmaxx
 Riding boots: Old Navy // Sunnies & Purse: Forever21 

Monday, December 1, 2014

The Fabulous

Don't under estimate the importance of friendship.

Throughout our lives we will build friendships whether it was your baby buddy, next door neighbor, high school friends, room mates, church friends, but at some point you find that special one, or if you're lucky a handful of friends that you know will always be in your life. Consider yourself blessed beyond measure if you have those friendships.

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”  ― C.S. Lewis

I grew up a tomboy. I rolled with the boys, playing football, skateboarding, wearing a backwards cap and thought barbies or anything girlie was gross. To this day I still find it a little easier to be friends with the boys. I never was into drama and (even though I myself am a woman) I know girls create a lot of it. It's annoying, most of it is meaningless and a waste of time. Don't get me wrong, I had girlfriends but they weren't exactly deep relationships. When I was 18 years old I took a gap year and moved to California for eight months, this is where I found my hidden gems of friends. The relationships that I made in those months caused me to lose a piece of me when I moved home, regularly breaking down in tears for no apparent reason other than I missed those I left behind. Well long story short two years later I moved back and haven't left since.

My fabulous friends are refreshing. Each one unique, gifted, and balance the dynamics of all our characters that we embody. Over the last few years we have each had our golden year and our torturous year, but we all have been in it together. Constantly sending group messages with inappropriate jokes, prayer requests, joyful news, movie quotes, being accountable, asking for urgent advice, as well as carving out special time together (harder than you think) to celebrate each other and get down into each others lives. We know each other deeply and accept one another for who they are, calling out each other's BS, encouraging the sparks of greatness we see, and being a little sassy to the world around us. Individually were all at different stages of our lives; married with kids, newly married, and in serious relationships. You would think that that would divide us yet we defy the rules and it only brings us together; joining in the new challenges and helping to navigate them. I honestly don't know where I would be or who I would be if it wasn't for these ladies in my life. I don't always have the words to express myself in the moment but hopefully this little expression truly shows the love and thankfulness I have.

We are battle buddies. We are adventurers. We are prayer warriors. We are fabulous. 

 "There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” ― Jane Austen